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Kicking around some ideas

Anyway, I have a journal started for the 10 gallon tank that will house my final betta female. I'm just starting to cycle it now, so there's plenty of time to think about layout and stuff. Well, it's 10 gallons, and I'm wondering if anybody else will fit in there (of course, if future betta allows it). Susanna, my previous betta (rest the poor thing's soul), seemed quite lonely in the tank all by herself, and I'd like to avoid that. I'd love to have the tank in a place we hang out in more, but there's no room for a 10gal in my living room/kitchen. So I thought company might be a way to mitigate that.

My questions are: are female bettas more tolerant of company in their tanks? Is there room in a 10gal for anything more than one betta girl? It will be heavily planted, and quite nice.

Thanks Aeonflame! Oooh, I'd really like to have two females!! But isn't that not enough...I know harems work, but there's no way I have enough room for that. However, trying two is tempting...but what am I going do to if it doesn't work out?

Whoa. Thankfully I have a lot of time to figure this out.

What sorts of smaller tetras would work? Neons and anything else? I admit that I don't know of very many small species. Off to research microfish.

I've kept a number of female bettas in a 10-gallon (10 gallons being the largest tank I have room for/the floor is capable of supporting). It is doable even if it's not generally recommended. My sorority has since gotten smaller as over-aggressive females were moved to their own tanks for the safety of the others, and due to the death of the boss female.

The probability of being watched is directly proportional to the stupidity of the act

Upon mulling it over, I think maybe the harem wouldn't work. It just seems too risky to be doing that, and possibly endangering the fish. If I had a bigger tank, sure, but in a 10gallon...I'm not that talented. Not the "fish whisperer," and I'm sure if anything went wrong, it would go really wrong.

Now I'm thinking just one betta, but a giant plakat one. I have read that they need a 10gal all to themselves. I emailed a dude in Detroit to see if he's got any fry growing out now. Shipping all the way from Singapore seems a bit extreme, especially in the winter, Detroit seems better. Heck, I could drive there if I had to.

It is so good that I have time to think this through. Perhaps that will avert any stupid choices that enter my mind!

As a long time Betta Keeper, and the unofficial Betta guru around these parts, maybe I can help you out.

If you have no availability to "pop up" other tanks unexpectedly if there is problems, do not do a sorority tank. Many keep them with no problems, but if you end up having fights but can't separate them, you'll have issues.

Tank mates for Betta are tricky, as they need a higher water temperature than most tropical fish like. They also have "food fights" with other fish, and depending on the Betta, can be like floating piggies. Over feeding is one of the largest causes of Betta illness and death, so working out how each inhabitant will be fed, without the Betta getting stuffed is a crucial issue. Avoid tank mates that need algae wafers or sinking tablets, as Betta have been known to bully those fish, and eat the whole thing themselves. Betta can die from doing this, and rather quickly.

Many suggest Snails and Dwarf frogs, but I am not a big fan of those tank mates. You would have to target feed the frog which can become a pain, and snails make a mess. Since Betta need really clean water to avoid fin rot, I don't go for those two options.

I know several people who have had great luck with Betta with Harlequin Rasbora, and Neon Tetra. These are quick feeders who will get their food, regardless of a Betta. The trick is to pick one of those, and have a large enough school so they feel "safe" around the Betta.

I have never had a giant Betta, however I know several who do. They are -awesome-, and just as full of piss and vinegar as the other varieties. Around here they sell them as "King Betta", and some of them are seriously huge. One would do very well in a 10 gallon.

I would assume their nature is like any other Betta, so your results may vary with any eventual tank mates.